Louie Zamperini was a remarkable man, soldier, and survivor. Growing up a slipshod child in California, Louie learned to push himself on the track. The “Torrance Tornado” was destined for the Olympics. His career was abruptly stopped in 1940 when Adolf Hitler and his regime destroyed the Olympic stadium in Finland. With his dream diminished, he became a bombardier for the U.S. Army during World War II. His plane, The Green Hornet, crashed while on a search mission to find a downed crew surviving for 46 days on a raft, he and another pilot were discovered by Japanese. Then and there, Louie’s journey with excruciating lows and euphoric highs, had begun. In the novel, Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses Louie’s traumatizing experiences to convey that if one taps into their resilience, they can survive anything. Louie had to tap into his resilience to survive during internment. Louie, during captivity, showed amazing resilience to survive 3 POW camps. To start off, when Louie was imprisoned in Kwajalein, “He called to Phil. Phil’s voice answered, distant and small” (135). This was risky …show more content…
Zamperini knew that he had to regain his dignity to survive before and after imprisonment. He did this by taking each day as it came, and then moving onto the next. His true turning point would be when he was moved by Billy Graham’s words. He really came to terms with his past and present life from there on out. To conclude, his struggles with imprisonments showcase the theme of resiliency because so many times Louie was beaten and humiliated by the guards, but he always bounced back. Everyone can relate this life rule to their lives because it shows that if something goes wrong, they should come back stronger instead of giving up. So, next time a setback occurs, be resilient, and come back even
Unbroken, written by Laura Hillenbrand, is a nonfiction novel that recounts the life of Louis Zamperini, who was a former Olympic athlete and World War II veteran, who survived being out at sea for 47 days and imprisoned in multiple Japanese war camps. Through his story of immense torture on his body and mind, Louis’ experience is an inspiring story of resilience, perseverance, and survival against tremendous odds. The author's main claim in Unbroken is that the human spirit can overcome the most unimaginable circumstances, and that a strong will to persevere and survive, can triumph over many hardships. Throughout the book, the author provides several examples of perseverance and will to survive.
Having strength means individuals are applying themselves but when individuals posses personal resilience, it means they are focusing on a zealously on a task that holds great importance. Roberts’s empathy for the lives of living creatures is built on by the experiences he shared with Rowena and Rodwell. Robert reaches his breaking point with his commanding officer Captain Leather and his order to abandon the horses in a barn during an air raid from the German forces. Robert does not trust his judgement as he does not respect the sanctity of animal life and is often disconnected from the horrors of the real war. Robert applies his compassion to act not only with strength but personal resilience.
How long could you survive in the middle of the deep blue of the ocean? How much weight could you hold above your head? How many times could you take punch after punch until you fell to the cold hard floor? These are just a few of the things that Louis Silvie Zamperini had to endure as a POW in a Japanese camp, but he didn’t spend his entire life in POW camp. He had a life before and after the famous World War II.
Have you ever thought of how it would be to have a plane crash and be deserted for more than 40 days? Well neither did Louie Zamperini, until it happened. Louis Zamperini never thought that he would be lost at seas but when his B-24 crashed down in the pacific that's just what happened. Though his whole life he has been all sorts of things, rebellious, determined, courageous, and more. Louie Zamperini, from the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand shows the characteristic traits of rebellious and determined through the thing that he does in this book.
Henry John Patch, the last surviving soldier of world war two quoted saying that, “war is organized murder and nothing else”(“Patch Harry”). Louis Silvie Zamperini, was a Olympic distance runner, who was faced with being a US prisoner of war survivor in World War II and had to go through unspoken atrocities, that traumatized him for life. Laura hillenbrand, novel Unbroken tells the life of Louis Zamperini an Olympic runner and military aviator life, and the agonizing and horrific abuse that he had to face at the hands of his capures after being stuck at sea for 47 days without any supplies, and all he had to rely on was his mental strength. Louis started off as a young man who had so many opportunities that were going going for him in his life,
While that act showed how the POWs as a whole defied the Japanese, Louie also individually defied the Japanese. One time when Louie individually defied the Japanese was when he was forced to carry a very heavy wooden beam around 6 feet long, he had to hold this beam over his head and could not put it down or shake because if he did he would be beaten. But Louie was not going to give the guard the satisfaction of knowing that he tired out Louie. Louie said to himself, “He cannot break me”(213). Louie ended up holding the beam for 37 minutes.
In her nationally acclaimed book, Unbroken, author Laura Hillenbrand brings to light a memorable tale about a World War II pilot who defies the odds and manages to survive a terrible event and live to old age. The story begins when twelve-year-old Louis Zampernini observes a massive German dirigible in the sky and is mesmerized with it. Although he is fascinated with the dirigible, planes terrify him, which could be taken by the reader as a kind of foreshadowing. Louis spends his days wreaking havoc by stealing food.
It was an act of God that allowed them to survive. After the war was over Louie 's life changed forever. He was a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. After the war was over Louie 's faith did not stop. He was excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity God had given him for his life.
Unbroken The author wrote this story to inform the reader of the life of Louis Zamperini, while also telling the story in an entertaining way. Hillenbrand demonstrated the main idea throughout the book by using rhetorical devices such as diction, syntax, imagery, and tone. Hillenbrand’s use of these rhetorical devices contribute to the book Unbroken by emphasizing the main character, Louis “Louie” Zamperini’s, life before, during, and after becoming a prisoner of war.
In the memoir Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand and Louie Zamperini show that having a determined mindset can help get through the horrors of POW camps. The POW camp Louie was in was terrible. He would get beaten everyday for no reason and be forced to do hard labor. The author uses words such as “broken”, “fractured, and “shattered” and paired them with the word “POW” to show that the Japanese soldiers had no mercy against the American soldiers. Throughout the POW camp terrible things happen to Louie and he is forced to see horrible events.
Unbroken is a biography about World War II veteran Louis Zamperini, who was a former olympic track runner who survived a plane crash in the pacific ocean. Spent up to 47 days drifting in the ocean. However that wasn’t even close to how long he spent as a prisoner of war in three Japanese camps. Louis had an interesting , and suspenseful life, but he managed to survive which is the surprising part of it all. This book gave us an insight into Louis Zamperini’s life about how belief is the most powerful, if not essential part of growing and overcoming crisis.
Without the redemption in Louie’s life, he would not have been able to call his life unbroken. One day after hearing a passing by pastor preach he felt convicted deeply. So, “That morning, he believed, he was a new creation” (Hillenbrand, 2012, P. 376). Like Louie, many other post POWs have had incredible stories, yet when the war was over, they fell into becoming a victim to the bottle. However, after many hard months, Louie was no longer drowning in his bitterness and grief.
“If you can take it, you can make it. Keep on fighting!” This quote from Louis Zamperini states that you must fight until you reach success, and that you never should give up in what you believe in. From Louis Zamperini 's establishment of unassailable records to experiencing the harsh and horrible conditions of being stranded in the Pacific ocean for days, and becoming a prisoner in a Japanese territory is truly a remarkable story of his. Louis Silvie Zamperini was born in in January 1917 in Olean, New York.
“Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man 's soul in his body long past the point when the body should have surrendered it” (Hillenbrand 189). In the novel Unbroken, written by Laura Hillenbrand, Louis “Louie” Zamperini goes through several life-threatening experiences. After being a troublemaker as a child, and an Olympic athlete, Louie straps up his boots and becomes a bombardier for the Army Air Corps. After a traumatizing crash and a forty-six day survival at sea, Louie is taken captive by Japanese officials.
Louie Zamperini and Commander John Fitzgerald show strength and resolution in the face of adversity. For example, when Louie’s plane crashed and the men were on the raft, Laura Hillenbrand wrote, “Louie was determined to keep himself and the others lucid”(114). During their journey on the rafts, Louie tried to keep Phil, Mac and himself hopeful in a seemingly hopeless situation. He tried to distract them from hunger and troubling thoughts by singing songs and talking about comforting memories of the past. Commander John Fitzgerald demonstrated his fortitude in Ofuna.